“Girls, the staff have beds to get to,” Duchess Marianne, that is Sophia’s mum told us.

We’d been chatting hard for a while with the party going on around us, Max flitting in and out, visits by parents, other bridesmaids and, well where had the time gone.

“Where is everyone?” I enquired.

“Mostly to their beds,” the Duchess advised.

“Come on, Gab,” Sophia prompted, “we should get some shut eye too.”

My watch claimed twelve fifteen so I guess I have been up quite a while. We followed Soph’s mum out of the function room and round to the lift.

“Oh bum, I’ve not got my room key, I’ll have to wake Gloria up.”

“You can share with me,” Soph offered.

“But…” I started.

“I’ve got spare pyjamas and anyway, you’ll need help getting out of that lot.”

“Take her up on it, Gabrielle, you might get some sleep,” the senior Thun und Taxis suggested.
 
 

When I accepted the offer I’d thought it was to use a spare bed but the room held just a single bed, queen size admittedly but in the singular nevertheless. Well I can hardly demur now I’m here can I.

“Erm, could you undo my shoes, Soph?”

“Hang on a mo,” she finished removing her own before wading under my skirts to reach the stilts I’ve now been wearing for a dozen hours.

“Ooooh,” I allowed as the first shoe came off, “ah!” when the other joined it, “that’s better.”

“You okay for a minute, I’ll get changed then we’ll sort you out.”

“Sure,” I agreed lying back onto the bed.

 
 
“Hmmm,” something tickled my nose, hmm hair. I tried to brush it away but instead pulled more across my face. I cracked an eye to investigate and was greeted not by my dirty blonde hair but somewhat darker, brown locks, eh? Then it came to me, I’m sharing with Sophia, not sure why the light’s on.

Further investigation revealed I was trapped by my right arm that was under Sophia and “Aaargh!” holding her breast! I released the body part but the still sleeping bedmate grabbed it with her free arm and put it back before snuggling down again.

Sugar, what the hell do I do now? Hang on, I don’t remember getting undressed. A quick audit with my free hand revealed I was wearing the promised PJ’s, which means Soph undressed me and put me in the jarmas. This gets worse. The bedside clock said ten past five, dammit – I groped behind me for a light control and turned the illumination off.

I lay there in the dark, not tight to the girl but as far away as my pinned arm and its contents would allow. That lasted a long time, she rolled over, not away from me but onto me, which released my now numb arm but pinned me to the bed bodily. She cuddled into me and by reflex I found myself holding her too.

 
 
“Mmmm, morning,” Soph offered from somewhere close by my ear.

“Morning.”

She lay back and stretched, “What time’s it?”

“Almost eight,” I advised having only just looked.

“Should get up.”

“I guess.”

“Not yet,” she changed her mind and turned to cuddle me again.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, sharing a room okay, done that before, a bed, well not really an issue but this, this intimacy I dunno. I really don’t know what I feel about it, a little voice is saying its wrong but well it’s sort of nice, a nice I can’t remember feeling before. Does that mean I like girls, is that why I’m not chasing boys? Or is the gender of my bedmate irrelevant and it’s just the sensations.

I looked down at Soph, as confused as I was three hours ago. She must’ve sensed me looking at her as she moved to look up at me.

“What?”

“Nothing, we probably should get up.”

“But it’s nice here.”

A knock on the door interrupted that line of thought.

“Girls, time to get up,” Duke Ludwig called through the door.

“Yes, Papa.”

Well that’s that sorted.

“I need to go get dressed.”

“Spoil sport,” Soph moaned as I extricated myself from both bedclothes and her clutches.

Bum, I’m barefoot in pyjamas, if anyone sees me it’ll look a bit suspect.

“Borrow my wrap, I’ll see you at breakfast,” my sleep partner pronounced.

“Erm, yeah, er thanks.”

I gathered my clothing and shoes and with a ‘ciao’ let myself out.

 
 
I knocked on the door to the room I’ve been sharing with Gloria.

“It’s open, Gaby!”

I pushed it open and somewhat sheepishly stepped inside.

“Er morning.”

“Morning, sleep well?”

“I stayed with Sophia, I didn’t want to wake you,” I explained instead of answering the question.

“I know, Marianne rang earlier.”

“Er right, um I should shower and stuff.”

 
 
The morning after the night before revealed plenty of people enjoyed the celebration, the newly weds were not in evidence – can’t say as I blame them.

“Juice, Gab?” Max enquired.

“Orange please.”

“Coming up!”

Got, how can he be so chipper at er quarter to nine?

Freed of yesterday’s food intake restrictions, both time and clothing wise, I made up for it this morning with the full works.

“What are you grinning at, Soph,” Max enquired as I felt a hand on my shoulder.

“Hiya, Soph.”

“Ooo, nothing in particular.”

“Well either go or sit,” Max suggested.

“Given that choice I’ll sit.” She pulled out a chair and joined us.

“Come on, what is it?” Max pushed.

“I had someone in my bed last night.” Soph gloated.

“Why doesn’t that surprise me.”

“You not gonna ask who?”

“Why should I be interested?”

“It was me, Max,” I interrupted before it could go any further.

“Spoil sport, Gab.”

“It was late, I didn’t want to wake your mum so Soph offered to put me up.”

“Does it not bother you Maxxie that I’ve slept with your girlfriend before you?”

We both replied together “He/she’s not my girl/boyfriend!”

“A sore point, eh?” Sophia surmised.

“And anyway all we did was sleep!”

“Keep it down,” Max suggested.

“Soz, but it’s true.”

“Never said it wasn’t,” Soph grinned.

“Soph!”

“What? The look on your faces.”

Geez I’m glad she’s a friend; I wouldn’t want to be her enemy.
 
 

Outside it was cold, the snow hadn’t come to much but what had fallen was now frozen in place. I blew on my hands to warm them as I returned to reception after putting my vanity in Gloria’s Cayenne.

“Gab.”

“Oh hi, Ana, Frau Heinemann.”

“That’s gonna take some getting used to.”

“Thanks for inviting me.”

“No the thanks should be mine, we’d both like to thank you for being part of the madness.”

“I’ve enjoyed it,” that wasn’t just a platitude, I actually have enjoyed the weekend.

“Please, this is for you, all the maids have one,” she passed me a gift bag.

“Um thanks.”

We exchanged hugs.

“Be good, Gabrielle, see you soon cousin!”

“Er bye,” I allowed.

 
 
“You ready, Gab?” Gloria enquired.

“All loaded except this,” I waved the gift bag.

“Good, now where is that boy? Hold on here while I find him.”

Gloria had barely disappeared before Sophia found me.

“Caught you!”

“You did that last night,” I observed.

“Maybe we could do it again sometime?” she suggested coyly.

There are worse possibilities.

“Maybe,” I allowed.

“Papa said to invite you all for New Year at the Schloss.”

“All?”

“You, your parents, sister, Manda, we have a big party, please say yes!”

“I’ll put it before the committee,” I agreed, “sounds brill, so where is this schloss?”

“Oh it’s down south, Papa will send your dad directions.”

“Right,” sounds a bit vague, well whatever.”

“Ah, Sophia,” Gloria greeted Fraulein Taxis, “good to see you again.”

“And you, Tante.”

“Well I need to get Miss Bond back home.”

“Where’s Max?”

“Apparently he’s gone with his father.”

“See you soon then, Gaby,” Soph mentioned as we hugged.

“Yeah,” I agreed, “tschussie!”

“Ciao!”
 
 

The two of us walked out to the Porsche, the first fresh flakes of snow now falling onto the already frozen ground.

“So what have you in the bag?” Gloria asked as we started the journey back to the Ahrtal, back to what I now think of as home, the place where Drew has never existed. When I thought about it, even in Warsop I spent a significant amount of time as, well as me.

What will the next weeks, months bring?

 
 
Maddy Bell 16.01.16